With “House of the Dragon” closing out its second season last week, it might be time to look elsewhere to get your dosage of dragons and family drama.
Showrunner Ryan Condal revealed in a Monday press conference that writing for Season 3 was already underway, with prep set to begin this fall and production aiming to start up in early 2025.
Though Condal said he hears fans who are hoping the “Game of Thrones” spin-off series could release every summer, he pointed to the massive scale of the battles and apologized for the wait. That said, a hopeful outlook could see “House of the Dragon” airing in late 2025, but 2026 is looking more likely.
In the meantime, there’s plenty of movies that might scratch your “House of the Dragon” itch, from fantasy classics like “Lord of the Dragons” to dragon-filled action flicks like “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” and “How to Train Your Dragon,” to tense family dramas like “House of Gucci” and “The Godfather.”
Here are seven movies like “House of the Dragon” to tide you over until Season 3.
“Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves”
If your biggest complaint with “House of the Dragon” is that there’s a severe lack of humor, then pop on “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.” The 2023 fantasy comedy is set in the world of the tabletop RPG phenomenon and had no right being as funny as it was. If you’re exhausted with all the politicking and hand-wringing of Westeros, then watching Chris Pine and the isle of misfit toys of a crew he puts together for a heist is likely just what you need. — Jacob Bryant
“The Godfather”
Family drama is at the heart of “House of the Dragon,” and there are few movies that capture the toxic nature of family vying for power within itself and outwardly than “The Godfather.” Much of the film is a clear inspiration on the show — so much so that Ewan Mitchell told TheWrap that he views Aemond and Aegon’s relationship similarly to Fredo and Michael Corleone. “I always liken Aegon and Aemond as Fredo Corleone and Michael Corleone respectively, because Fredo should have looked out for Michael, the same way that Aegon should have looked out for Aemond, but instead, Aegon went behind Aemond’s back and conspired against Aemond with the help of his nephews,” Mitchell said. “Aemond does feel a hate to his enemies, but when it’s your own brother that goes behind your back and backstabbed you, that hatred is even deeper than someone who’s supposed to protect you and supposed to look out for you.”
Take it from a star of the show himself. Watch “The Godfather.” — JB
“The Green Knight”
“House of the Dragon” blends the grounded energy that made “Game of Thrones” so approachable with the more magically fantastical elements of the series with a deft hand. If you want a dark and gritty adaptation that also walks that line masterfully, you won’t do much better than “The Green Knight.” Dev Patel puts on a strong performance in this adaptation of the 14th century poem “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” If you’re looking for some medieval/European fantasy with some striking visuals and a bit of horrifying magic than “The Green Knight” is your ticket to making the way for “HotD” Season 3 more manageable. — JB
“House of Gucci”
While the Targaryens would never outwardly welcome someone of commoner status into their bloodline — with Season 2’s Sowing of the Seeds growing critical reactions — “House of Gucci” seems to be on par with the level of disaster that bringing in an outsider into the royal fold would have on “House of the Dragon.” Much like how a power-hungry Otto Hightower places his daughter, Alicent, in position to become a royal, Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga) sees her chance to inherit the Gucci name and fortune when she meets Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver), and she takes it. While the Ridley Scott-directed drama doesn’t involve dragon warfare, “House of Gucci” certainly involves the underhanded backstabbing betrayal and perilous plotting found in “Game of Thrones” and its spin-off series. — Loree Seitz
“Hunger Games”
Let’s be honest, the impending all-out war to come between Team Green and Team Black is practically just the last-man-standing game found within “The Hunger Games.” Rhearnya and Alicent’s emotional conversation in the Season 2 finale feels spot on with Katniss and Peeta’s back-and-forth when considering which one of them should survive the brutal games. Just as “House of the Dragon” finds friends and former lovers on opposite sides of a deadly conflict, long standing relationships and alliances are tested as the “Hunger Games” series ramps up, and can especially be found in the prequel movie “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.” — LS
“How to Train Your Dragon”
If you feel a bit worn out from keeping track of where loyalties lie in Westeros, but still want to stay rooted in a fantastical world where dragons exist, 2010’s “How to Train Your Dragon” might be right for you. Much like the Sowing of the Seeds in Season 2 — which saw Team Black gain several new dragon riders — or Rhaena’s ongoing struggle to tame a wild dragon, “How to Train Your Dragon” sees a young Viking named Hiccup develop a close relationship with his dragon, Toothless, pair up to maintain peace between humans and dragons. In fact, “House of the Dragon” Season 1 director Greg Yaitanes watched “How to Train Your Dragon” in preparation for the show’s first dragon battle. — LS
“Lord of the Rings”
This is kind of the no brainer suggestion. In terms of acclaimed fantasy series with A+ adaptations, you won’t get much better than Peter Jackon’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. If what you love about “House of the Dragon” is the character drama and battles intermingled with a rich, fully realized world than a “LOTR” rewatch should be on your horizon. And if you’ve never happened to see the trilogy then that’s something that needs to be amended ASAP. — JB
